Communication between Pokémon and Trainers is an extremely important part of their bond. Although Pokémon possess intelligence far beyond that of ordinary animals and are rich in emotion—and although they can understand most commands and instructions from their Trainers—this does not mean they should be treated as humans.
Among Pokémon, there are many species with comparatively low intelligence. Some can barely comprehend even the simplest commands. Humans, on the other hand, cannot understand Pokémon language at all, and can only build rapport through long-term interaction, day by day, month by month.
A truly outstanding Trainer is often one who can understand what their Pokémon are feeling.
The telepathy that Lulu possessed was, to Kael, nothing short of a cheat. It allowed him to directly communicate with newly encountered Pokémon on a mental level, enabling him to build a bond in a short time that would normally take other Trainers years—sometimes even decades—to achieve.
Kael deliberately kept his expression as gentle and approachable as possible as he looked at the Feebas in the tank, bubbles rising as it swam. He spoke softly:
"Don't ask whether you can. Just tell me—do you want to?"
Feebas's state of mind was far too insecure. Kael needed to give it encouragement—he needed to help it find confidence.
Staring at the frozen frame of the video on the screen, Feebas nodded vigorously.
"I do… I want to become like Mama."
"Mama?"
The word made Kael pause.
Milotic was indeed Feebas's evolved form—that was unquestionable. But that didn't mean every Feebas was born from a Milotic.
According to the classified materials Kael had obtained from the Sootopolis Gym Leader's computer, Milotic had an extremely low chance of pregnancy. Across all worlds, the stronger a lifeform was, the harder it was for it to reproduce. Weaker lifeforms, on the other hand, possessed an almost unbelievable advantage in reproduction.
That was precisely why Pokémon bearing the title of pseudo-legendary were so vanishingly rare across all regions—and why some Legendary Pokémon had existed as a single individual for hundreds, even thousands of years. Compared to them, species like Caterpie and Weedle, found in every forest…
Milotic and Feebas were already lifeforms on entirely different levels. It could be said that 99% of all Feebas in the world were born from Feebas parents. Only a very, very small number—the remaining 1%—were born from Milotic due to rare accidents.
"And you… do you remember anything from when you were little?" Kael asked curiously.
At those words, Feebas flicked its tail and turned its head away, as if recalling something painful. After a long while, it replied softly:
"I… I remember a little. Mama… Mama didn't seem to like me."
Kael pointed at the Milotic in the paused video.
"Did your mother look exactly like her?"
"Mm!"
Joy and excitement instantly surfaced on Kael's face.
Heavens above—this Feebas was actually a descendant of Milotic, not an ordinary Feebas lineage.
What did that mean?
It meant that from the moment of its birth, its baseline was already far beyond that of its peers. As long as this Feebas could gain confidence—and with the help of a single Prism Scale—its evolution into Milotic was practically guaranteed.
The Sootopolis Gym's top-secret archives recorded this exact conclusion, confirmed through countless experiments over the past century since the Gym's founding.
Kael lifted Feebas out of the tank and stared straight into its eyes, speaking firmly in his mind:
"As long as you want it. As long as you're willing to work for it. I can guarantee—you'll become even more beautiful than your mother."
Feebas wiggled its tail uneasily and asked in a timid, almost silly voice:
"R-Really?"
"Really. You can become Milotic—no, that would only be your starting point."
To establish Feebas's confidence as quickly as possible, Kael threw caution to the wind and spoke boldly. As for the future? No one could say what lay ahead anyway.
Once he learned that Feebas had been born from a Milotic, Kael's confidence soared to its peak.
Now, the most important thing was money—and a lot of it, in a very short time. Three million… maybe even five million.
Because Kael was absolutely certain of one thing: the moment Prism Scales appeared on online marketplaces or auction sites, the Sootopolis Gym would never let them go.
Compared to a financially dominant giant like the Sootopolis Gym, Kael's assets didn't even qualify him as small fry. In a real-world auction, he wouldn't stand a chance. But online… he could still use a few tricks.
Enough to make the other side uncomfortable—without provoking retaliation.
...
Before even a full day of the rental period had passed, Kael had already packed his bags and prepared to leave.
His first stop was Vermilion City. He needed to pass the Elite Trainer certification exam, so that he could apply for the Silver Hunter dog tag.
A-rank missions paid far more than B-rank ones. If he wanted to earn enough money in a short time, he had no choice but to raise his Hunter qualification.
Higher rewards naturally meant higher risks—but for the sake of evolving Feebas into Milotic as soon as possible, Kael couldn't afford to worry about that.
Risk and reward always went hand in hand.
Besides, he was confident in his ability to protect both himself and his Pokémon. He wasn't the type to stubbornly force things—if a mission became impossible, he'd retreat. Sure, it would hurt his credit rating…
But no amount of money was worth gambling his life.